226 
The Past Agricultural Year. 
at length rendered the stock miicli more delicate. In fact it is only in some 
farms we meet with stock which arc considered as hardy and sound as were 
the characteristics of the Sutherland Cheviots in days gone by. The ewe- 
lambs have been also generally wintered upon turnips, and they are tupped 
by sheep in many instances pampered to such an extent as render them unfit 
for hill service. Let me add, as suggestions, that if lime could be brought 
into the country the benefits would be untold ; and if farms could be split up 
and rendered more manageable ; and if stockowners depended less upon their 
shepherds' reports and looked more after their own affairs ; and if — , &c. 
2nd. Of Tillage Operations, (a.) Ak to Boot Crops. — Our spring 
months, although cold, were as a rule dry, so we were enabled to get our 
turnip crops, with but few interrujitions, put down in good order, thus securing 
a fair promise of a sufficient braird. But although this proved to be the case 
upon properly cultivated and highly manured soils, on much of the inferior 
lands where drainage has been at a discount, a great breadth had to be re-sown, 
owing to the cold weather and blighting east winds ; and where plants made 
an appearance, they soon assumed a most unhealtliy ajipeaiance, and to a 
great extent withered away. The saturated soil increasing by its coldness 
the effect of ungenial weather, rendered the manure applied ineffective, and so 
the jilants were destroyed by the depredations of insects when tender. Upon 
this farm, which has within its bounds some of the best soil in the county, 
80 acres were all singled in good season. This was upon the better part of 
fallow, but tliere was a field resting upon a retentive subsoil which had to be 
in parts redrained, and in autumn, thinking that the breaking up of the sub- 
soil, owing to the early harvest, might be done with the usual strength of the 
farm,'Iset to work with subsoil-ploughs and thorough Ij' stirred the soil to a depth 
of from 14 to 18 inches, and have thereby secured a fair crop on the greater part 
of it. The failure occurs where the soil rests upon a subsoil of blue clay, which 
is impervious to water, and where by way of experiment half a ton of the much- 
vaunted ground coprolites were tried instead of the usual dose of guano, dis- 
solved bones and bone-meal. 1 suspect that the kind of artificial manure applied 
has more to do with the success or non-success of our turnip-crop than farmers 
seem to think, as, on inquiry, I find where superphosphates alone have been 
applied that the crop is generally a failure, owing, I suppose, to this manure 
being too soluble in a wet season, and lacking the ammonia so necessar}' to 
piish vegetation ahead in a cold one. The rain would be apt to wash a great 
portion out of the soil, and, where drainage is deficient, the food of the plant 
would be presented in too diluted a form. True, the soil by its absorptive pro- 
perties would retain the manure, but I suspect seasons such as we have passed 
through have not been taken into consideration by the analyst. About the 
beginning of July much rain fell, and fears were entertained tliat upon even 
the best soil the crop would be ruined ; but this was obviated in a great 
measure, I believe, by our starting (when favoured by the intennission, of a 
day's drought) three scuflies with grabber- teeth, which stirred the soil to a 
depth of about 10 inches, thereby admitting fresh air and helping to carry off 
part of the superfluous water which might fall afterwards, and would other- 
wise be retained by the caked condition of the surface-soil. Tiiis was done 
upon two different occasions all over the break, and the result has been a crop 
aljove an average. A neighbour of mine, at my suggestion, adopted the same 
jiractice, and has likewise secured a better crop than he has had for years. 
(6.) .^s to Corn Crops. — They were all got dovm in good order, and, as a 
result, we had a regular braird with strong and healthy plants, which did not, 
however, make rapid progress, owing to the saturated condition of the soil and 
absence of heat. Afterwards upon dry free soils the constant dropping nature 
of the season made the crop run to straw. This also was true of land after 
root-crops ; and in consequence a great breadth became lodged before the ear 
